WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has directed states to halt the distribution of full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and to reclaim funds already disbursed exceeding 65% of the usual amount, following a Supreme Court order pausing a lower court ruling. The move impacts over 42 million Americans who rely on the food aid program.
The USDA issued a memo Saturday instructing states, which administer the federally-funded program, to “promptly undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2019.” States failing to comply risk cancellation of federal funding for administrative costs and potential liability for overissuances.
The directive reverses a temporary period where some states - including New York, Massachusetts, California, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania – issued full benefits after a federal judge last week ordered the administration to fully fund the program. The USDA had initially indicated it was working to comply wiht the lower court order using emergency funds.However, the Supreme Court later paused that order, allowing the administration to withhold approximately $4 billion in funding while it appeals the decision.
wisconsin Governor tony Evers stated his state woudl not comply with the request to return benefits, posting on X (formerly Twitter) a simple “no.” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey saeid her state would challenge the administration in court, stating, “if President Trump wants to penalize states for preventing americans from going hungry, we will see him in court.” She noted funds had already been distributed to recipients late last week based on prior USDA guidance.
The legal battle stems from the USDA’s declaration that benefits would be reduced in November due to the ongoing US government shutdown. SNAP,also known as food stamps,serves roughly one in eight Americans and costs nearly $9 billion monthly. The average family of four receives $715 per month, equating to less then $6 per person per day.
